


Action

by Morgane (smilla840)



Series: Spontaneity [2]
Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 13:39:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/662621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilla840/pseuds/Morgane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The morning after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Action

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at my livejournal, and beta'ed by sunhawk.

Predictably, the next day at the lab was rather slow, those not lucky enough to have the day off moving around in pained awareness, blinking at the harsh light that is Miami in January. Fortunately, criminals seemed to be afflicted by the same predicament and there were only a few cases.

Ryan had driven Eric home the night before, shortly after midnight, thinking it best that Eric sober up in the confines of his own home in order to avoid another encounter with Natalia or some unsuspecting lab employee. Eric had been, thankfully, silent in the car, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts and the road. 

He had had many many things to think about.

The freaking out part, curiously, hadn’t come until it was time to face the lab and Eric again the next morning. In fact, before that very moment, Ryan had been feeling very proud of himself for reacting so well.

And there he was now, hands a little sweaty and staring blankly at his car’s dashboard, only minutes from being actually late – and that had _never_ happened to him before, trust Eric to be the one responsible for it. Maybe that was what had stopped his mind from registering Eric as possible date material in the first place. Eric was… messy. There was no other word for it. He made Ryan’s carefully organized life suddenly seem very complicated and full of rather scary possibilities. Ryan and his OCD liked order and space and doing things his own way. Problem was, Eric also liked doing things his way, and it was nothing like Ryan’s. They already clashed enough as coworkers, what would happen if they became more?

Thankfully it wasn’t something Ryan had to worry about right now. No, he had to go in, and gauge Eric’s reaction, if there was any. He wouldn’t put it past the other man to have no distinct memory of the kiss. But then, Ryan’s overactive mind wondered, how would he know the difference between Eric not remembering, and pretending he didn’t in order to keep their shaky friendship intact?

Either way, it was better than the third option of Eric reacting badly and/or telling the whole lab, and Ryan really had to stop thinking about it before he called in sick. 

For some reason inherent to Ryan’s brain, the possibility that Eric might remember and want more himself didn’t cross his mind.

 

He didn’t regret anything.

He just hoped Eric wouldn’t make him wish otherwise.

 

Gathering his courage – it was getting dangerously close to the ‘late’ part now – he headed inside. It was rather quiet, the lab functioning with minimal staff for the New Year. Calleigh was at home, and H was supposed to be as well but Ryan caught a glimpse of him in his office. Not surprising, really, considering the man had been working non-stop for the past few months.

He found Eric in the break room, although he had definitely _not_ been looking for him, but that was just his luck, he guessed. Eric, who looked decidedly hung-over, bleary eyes and a little pale.

“Hey,” Ryan managed in a would-be casual voice that sounded apprehensive even to his own ears.

Eric managed a weak smile and a nod – followed by a wince at the movement – and Ryan could feel his anxiety flow out of him in a rush, leaving him a little light-headed. Eric didn’t look angry. In fact, he seemed to be behaving pretty normally – for a guy with a hang-over.

That was a good sign.

Ryan was so relieved he couldn’t stop himself from teasing Eric a little. After all, it was what they did, and therefore entered the ‘behaving as if nothing had happened’ part. A grin firmly planted on his face, he poured himself coffee and asked:

“So, rough night?”

Eric made a sound that was a cross between a grunt of agreement and a moan of despair, and Ryan really wished he hadn’t, because since his epiphany he seemed to be hyperaware of everything Eric and that noise made his stomach do strange things around the coffee.

“My head is killing me. How much did I drink anyway?” Eric asked dejectedly, staring at his own cup.

“You don’t remember?” And no, absolutely no ulterior motive in asking.

“Some.” Eric shrugged, and then suddenly stared at Ryan, who tensed reflexively. Was he remembering…? “Did I really make out with Natalia?”

Ryan tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that shot through his chest – of _course_ , he would have to remember _her_! He found himself a little confused at his reaction because really, wasn’t it a good thing if Eric didn’t remember their kiss? He wasn’t even sure he wanted to start something with his friend – yeah, right, a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Alexx (disturbing, really) informed him, though he chose to ignore it. The thing was, if Eric had remembered, the decision – good or bad – of what to do next would have been out of Ryan’s hands. That in itself would have been a good thing.

So he was back to square one, ie. what to do now.

Determined not to let any of his inner turmoil show, he smirked.

“Yep.”

Eric looked miserable and a little sick now and Ryan decided to take pity on him. 

“Relax, I rescued you. You can expect a lecture on the wrongs of alcohol abuse from Alexx some time soon though.”

Horatio chose that moment to enter the room with a new assignment that ended their conversation, leaving Ryan wondering if Eric might remember more soon. He had some troubles concentrating on the case – luckily, it was pretty straightforward, their suspect confessing the moment they brought him in for questioning. He knew he was watching Eric surreptitiously all day, and not being particularly stealthy about it either, but he didn’t think Eric noticed anyway. 

That evening, in the locker room, they were both putting their weapons away, Eric looking decidedly better than he had all day, and Ryan couldn’t resist asking:

“So, remembered any more of your wild night?”

Eric shook his head. 

“Not really. Anything I should be aware about?”

Again, Ryan didn’t think – and really, what was it about Eric that made him behave so… impulsively? It wasn’t something he enjoyed – too much worry afterwards, too many ways things could go wrong. But it seemed he couldn’t stop himself around Eric.

“Just this.”

And he leaned forward and kissed him.


End file.
